Putting in your two cents? You could have, if you had one of these U.S. minted 1864-73 two cent p...
Credit: U.S. Mint coin, photo by author | ©Timothy B. Benford
Ever wonder the origin of words or phrases with numismatic connotations that people use in daily conversation? For instance, do you know someone who is filthy rich and whom people say is made of money or has money to burn? We would probably all get more bang for a buck if we were spending like a drunken sailor or raking in money. But then, money doesn't grow on trees. On the other hand, we could find ourselves strapped for cash and end up penny pinching.
Many people would be surprised to learn how such expressions came about. As numismatists we can brag that a number of phrases and references uttered by 'laymen' trace their genesis to our hobby, even if most people have no idea why they are saying what they are saying.
Though the nine phrases just noted are popular, all but two make reference to money or cash in the most general terms. What about phrases or expressions mentioning specific denominations? Oh, there's no shortage of those to be sure. And you can bet your bottom dollar on that! The meaning of a few phrases, such as "two bits" in reference to a quarter of a dollar, are more widely known than most. Nonetheless, we will briefly remind you of that origin, and we won't Josh you: a 'bit' was 1/12 of a large, silver dollar-sized Spanish Real coin which pirates and people in the17th and 18th centuries, often cut into pie-shaped pieces of small change. Two bits were equal to one quarter of the coin, hence the relationship to the modern quarter of a dollar.
So put down your 10x magnifier and stop looking for hairline cracks or rotated dies on that bucket full of dateless Buffalo Nickels and read on to see how many of the following you know.
"Bet Your Bottom Dollar": Believed to have originated in saloons of the American Wild West from the practice of poker players and other gamblers stacking their 'cartwheels' in front of them as they played. The suggestion is go ahead, bet the last of your money.
Many people would be surprised to learn how such expressions came about. As numismatists we can brag that a number of phrases and references uttered by 'laymen' trace their genesis to our hobby, even if most people have no idea why they are saying what they are saying.
Though the nine phrases just noted are popular, all but two make reference to money or cash in the most general terms. What about phrases or expressions mentioning specific denominations? Oh, there's no shortage of those to be sure. And you can bet your bottom dollar on that! The meaning of a few phrases, such as "two bits" in reference to a quarter of a dollar, are more widely known than most. Nonetheless, we will briefly remind you of that origin, and we won't Josh you: a 'bit' was 1/12 of a large, silver dollar-sized Spanish Real coin which pirates and people in the17th and 18th centuries, often cut into pie-shaped pieces of small change. Two bits were equal to one quarter of the coin, hence the relationship to the modern quarter of a dollar.
So put down your 10x magnifier and stop looking for hairline cracks or rotated dies on that bucket full of dateless Buffalo Nickels and read on to see how many of the following you know.
"Bet Your Bottom Dollar": Believed to have originated in saloons of the American Wild West from the practice of poker players and other gamblers stacking their 'cartwheels' in front of them as they played. The suggestion is go ahead, bet the last of your money.
- This article is Copyright © 2005 by the author and originally appeared in the November 2005 issue of COINage magazine.
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